Replied by Mama To Many (Tennessee, Usa) on 01/31/2014

I have been thinking about your exhaustion before and during your period. I have a few questions...is there anything you have tried yet? Do you have other cramping, heavy bleeding etc? Are you taking other supplements for anything else? How old are you?

Hoping to be able to offer some help here...

~Mama to Many~

Replied by Sunny (Ca) on 07/30/2014

You wrote... "I have been thinking about your exhaustion before and during your period. I have a few questions...is there anything you have tried yet? Do you have other cramping, heavy bleeding etc? Are you taking other supplements for anything else? How old are you?"

I am 27, regular bleeding, pretty predictable in about 22-25 days monthly, 2-2.5 days long. I have tried Black Strap Molasses. Yes very horrible cramping. PMS , very emotional, feel hormones going crazy inside. I take fish oil, and flax oil, BSM about 2 weeks prior to my period. But still feel so exhausted. I am thinking I am lacking some nutrient, in this very vulnerable time.

Thank you for wanting to help me Mama To Many, Blessings.

Replied by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 07/31/2014

Great to hear from you--the answers to the questions are helpful.

There are so many things you could try. But I think you are right - it could well be a nutrient deficit.

I been pondering today what would be the best thing to suggest. I prefer the most natural solutions, ones easily attainable, and accessible to most. But these things are not always the most convenient to do. At the end of the day, I think in your shoes, I would start with the vitamin Optivite PMT. You can get it on Amazon. 20 years ago I did a lot of research on cycles and nutrition...In fact, I still refer back to Marilyn Shannon's book, "Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition." I took the above mentioned vitamins for years and found them very helpful. It can take a couple of months of taking them regularly to see a difference. (And you have to take 6 per day.) Noting that your cycles can be pretty short (22 days) makes me think also that these may be a good solution. Very short cycles often indicate a luteal phase insufficiency, which can be corrected with these vitamins.

Now, if you are not one who likes to swallow vitamins and prefer an herbal tea route, you could take a PMS tea. Or Red Raspberry Leaf tea-- several cups a day all month. These may work as well, if not better than vitamins, but not everyone is going to follow through with 3 cups of herbal tea a day.

There are also PMS tinctures and such that people with success. A last resort would be natural progesterone cream. I have used it successfully in the past, but am not sure it is that natural. There was a brand a few years ago called, 'Happy PMS, " which tells you why many women used it!

If you don't do the vitamins, a magnesium supplement might be very helpful. Natural Calm, or magnesium oil, or epsom salt baths. Some kelp might be helpful, too. So many are iodine deficient and the kelp is a little boost there. Lugol's iodine would be a bigger boost, but that is a whole new thread. :)

While you are getting your cycles manageable, a few things to help the cramping are these:

Frankincense Essential Oil - massaged into the area of pain.

Cayenne pepper - 1/2 teaspoon in some juice. Amazing for cramping pain. I was doubled over with cramping pain during a miscarriage once and the cayenne in juice stopped the cramping and pain. (And the heavy bleeding, which was why I had taken it in the first place.) You can repeat the dose in a couple of hours if needed. It is a great pick-me-up when you are exhausted, too.

There are so many things you can try. If you are not a vitamin person and prefer a more herbal route, let me know and I will try and be more specific about that. Castor Oil packs may also be of help to you.

I am suspecting there is a root problem causing the exhaustion, the cramping, and the PMS. Fixing that would hopefully help with all of the problems.

Keep in touch!

~Mama to Many~

Replied by SUNNY (Ca, US) on 08/05/2014

What is luteal phase insufficiency? Yes it might be because my period cycles are short 22-25 days, or because my period days are only about 2-2.5 days long.

I am sorry to hear about your miscarriage.

Should be interesting to study more about the cycle and the way the nutrients change/ decrease during the woman's entire cycle. Yes, I have yet to try, iodine, magnesium, b complex, etc. ( low in income)

What type of Magnesium have you found the best? As there appear to be many types.

I have found the fish oil, flax seed oil, and Black Strap Molasses very helpful, but Im still missing some things as I still do cramp/ feel exhausted, but not as much.

Namaste, Sunny

Replied by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/06/2014

Good to hear from you!

The Luteal Phase of the menstrual cycle is the second half; the time from ovulation to the beginning of the next period. Ideally it is 12-14 days or so. If it is much shorter, and you conceive, the pregnancy cannot be maintained. I believe I have had babies before with a 10-11 day luteal phase, but in general, a short luteal phase is an indication of hormonal imbalance. Your PMS symptoms indicate that as well. Short cycles can also mean you are not ovulating. If you ever want to try charting your cycles, it is interesting and gives information easily and free! You take your temperature daily at the same time before getting out of bed and chart it. Around the time of ovulation, you should get about a .4 degree rise in temperature. If you have a low rising temperature, it is also an indication of low thyroid function.

Regarding magnesium - we have had success with using Natural Calm, Epsom Salt, and magnesium oil. Homemade magnesium oil may be the cheapest solution.

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea may be a good thing to try. It is high in nutrients, including magnesium. If you could find it in bulk, a half a pound would last you a long time.

Kelp is pretty inexpensive, but I think there is concern about it containing mercury. Lugol's Iodine is not too expensive and my 2 ounce bottle lasts me a long time.

You could also try taking more Blackstrap since that is generally inexpensive.

Let me know what you try and how you are doing!

~Mama to Many~

Replied by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/07/2014

As a Ps to my last post, I forgot to mention that Nutritional Yeast is a great source for B vitamins. It will even turn urine sunshine yellow like B complex if you take quite a bit.

I love nutritional yeast on fresh sliced cucumbers with a little sea salt. It has been a favorite snack for me this summer.

~Mama to Many~